AI video startup Runway raises $315M at $5.3B valuation, eyes more capable world models
Startup Runway has raised a $315 million round at a $5.3 billion valuation, funds it will use to expand beyond AI video generation and into world models.
Primary Ventures raises healthy $625M Fund V to focus on seed investing
Primary Ventures has closed a $625 million fund focused on seed investing nationwide. It’s a sizeable accomplishment for a seed-stage VC firm.
Proptech startup Smart Bricks raises $5 million pre-seed led by a16z
Smart Bricks is an AI-powered proptech that helps investors find high-quality real estate investments
Hauler Hero collects $16M for its AI waste management software
Hauler Hero has seen its customer base, revenue, and head count double since the company raised its seed round in 2024.
India orders social media platforms to take down deepfakes faster
India’s new rules take effect February 20, tightening deepfake oversight and shrinking takedown windows to as little as two hours.
YouTube rolls out an AI playlist generator for Premium users
YouTube Music is rolling out a new AI-powered playlist-generation feature that allows Premium users on iOS and Android to use text prompts to create playlists.
The first signs of burnout are coming from the people who embrace AI the most
Because employees could do more, work began bleeding into lunch breaks and late evenings. The employees’ to-do lists expanded to fill every hour that AI freed up, and then kept going.
India makes Aadhaar more ubiquitous, but critics say security and privacy concerns remain
India’s Aadhaar is moving into wallets, hotels and policing through a new app. Critics say that amid the broader Aadhaar rollout, it’s unclear how data shared through the new app would prevent breaches
Tem raises $75M to remake electricity markets using AI
Tem has built a transaction engine that relies on AI to cut costs. Lightspeed led the round to help the startup expand to the U.S. and Australia.
Waymo is testing driverless robotaxis in Nashville
This is the typical next step before it launches a commercial service.